Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Results tagged ‘ Lee Smith ’

I have to say I’m glad I’m not one of those 600+ members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) who have put in the mandatory 10 plus years of service covering own slivers of the Major League Baseball fishbowl who have to parlay their thoughts along with slicing and dicing their own set in clay adverse and varied opinions about the nominated few and somehow find a cohesive way to whittle down their list of potential former MLB players for possible selection and immortalized in bronze forever within the hallowed halls of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.But wouldn’t it a hoot if I did have a envelope to send into Cooperstown. That my own personal baseball opinions could be voiced upon that black and white card of my 10 selected baseball heroes from the past that I personally would LOVE to see in bronze for eternity. The reality is I will never have that opportunity. I wasted my chance at being within that brotherhood long ago when I left my Sports Correspondent slot soooo long ago. But I would cherish and relish a chance to send just such an envelope into the mail and then sit back and see how many of my picks could/would get a phone call and the prestigious yellow jacket this summer.

I would consider such an envelope a huge responsibility both as a life-time baseball spectator as well take into account morally that I not only follow my gut reaction for such voting, but also toil and weather such stormy matters as if a finalist had used or ever abused the pre-PEDs mandates (McGwire) and testing regulations (Clemens/Bonds), whether a career-long DH (Martinez) merits a hearty Hall nod. Or maybe I might wrestle on a solid and concise benchmark for statistic considerations of both starters and relievers. I would hope I can show empathy with finalists who might have suffered in their careers by playing on mediocre teams (Morris/Raines) that did not parlay their own bits of success into playoff berths or shot in the World Series. Does getting a World Series ring (or 2) trump a player with a den full of MLB hardware?

And even if I did produce 10 ducks in my selection row, that the moment the selection process is finalized I could end up with a whittled down list maybe into the single digits and as low as 3 of my selections receiving that prestigious phone call on Wednesday, January 8th. But no matter the results, I know there will be chatter, both realistic and convoluted as some inductees and finalists will miss the cut and not meet both the required minimal votes for this summer’s Hall induction and possibly fall off the 2015 ballot due to lack of support or future consideration by the growing group of 600+BBWAA voters.

My first 5 selections will bode well with most voters, but my other 4 might ruffle some PED feathers or be called into question because of their non-God like stats, plus I added 1 Hometown hero to my selection list but that is what this voting blog post is all about……my personal Hall of Fame choices.

Without further ado, this would have been my ballot for the Hall of Fame Class of 2014:

Surprise, disappointment,and astonishment should reign supreme today when the hierarchy that is Cooperstown announces their enshrined class for 2013, I am suspecting a few gasps, a few hip-hip hoo-rays, and hopefully a few “it’s about time” noises from coast-to-coast. Be it the players nominated who played the game “old school” style, or player who went to historic lengths to press their imprint on their bronze plaque, the Hall of Fame class of 2013 will definitely have their pros and (almost) cons…and the various and widening shower of 360 degrees of both positive and negative opinions will rain down quickly as the selection become public.

It will be the first time we see via a voting tally what the fellowship of America’s favorite pastime truly feels about players who hustle, played the game within the chalk lines, and those who muddled them like a Southern rainstorm. Be you a pro-traditional sort, or one who yells to the rafters about the injustice of tainted stats possibly gaining iconic access into the hallowed halls, 2013 will definitely be the year of controversy and a first show of the river of divide that was the Steroid Era.

I am truly expecting a few of the Hall of Fame voters to pronounce proudly they will not vote an accuser/abuser into the Hall even with monumental statistics that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were/are in the game higher echelon all-time. Dark clouds will definitely be in order on this day no matter the sky cover or the temps as heat will rise and more than a few opinions will rant and rave up a storm, possibly into whirlwind potential.

Even the recent acknowledgment of Mark McGuire of his ruse might not be enough to float him towards those hallowed chambers, and his long time farce might actually cost him another chance in 2014 if the voters decide he doesn’t even desire the lowest total possible for another single chance at admittance.

There are a few names not tarnished by the era of the needle who should hear the phone ring today be it a catcher who offensively changed his position, or a ornery cuss who reminded fans and the media of those long ago icons who blistered out over 3,000 Rawlings which should get him a front row seat on the podium in his first Hall of Fame chance. I’m hoping a shortstop who played in old Tigers Stadium who for years was overshadow by Cal Ripken Jr, but who played that old constant style of clean and concise defense his calling card while Ripken made his with the lumber.

There are so many different style of players,disciplines and even motivations who could get a chance today to hear their names echoed from sea-to-shining sea and with it the quick opinions running rampant on whose team caps they will adorn along with their smile on their bronze plaque. I want to think it is pure skullduggery and thievery if the “Crime Dog” is again robbed of a chance for election, but then I remember some think the skinny First Baseman who rocked 200 Home Runs in each side of the MLB didn’t hit that stellar 500 HR plateau and again will have to buy a ticket to enter the Hall.

I expect a few names to bring a large amount of aggressive shock and awe that they are not only excluded once again, but possibly being a step closer to that critical vote percentage tipping point where their names may disappear from the ballot forever. Be he a “sure thing”, a player lost in the controversial shuffle, or one of those arraigned, tried and found not guilty in the court of law, but not in the public court of opinion.

If you gaze up at the opening photo montage on this post you will see the 6 names I would have selected on my personal 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. I struggled with expanding it to 8 names, but I’m sure the 2 people I juggled on and off the list will get the needed votes to be eligible again for the Hall of Fame eligibility in 2014, then I would check their names with no reservations.

Even with the disagreements, opinions and gambit of emotions from anger to excited, this is definitely going to be a Hall of Fame class we will be talking about the entire 2013 Major League baseball season…….So, who you got on your 2013 Hall of Fame ballot?

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